This watercolour painting depicts a port-side view of the Royal Naval vessel ‘Magicienne’ a 36-gun vessel launched for the Royal Navy in 1812, and converted into a 24-gun warship in 1831. The ‘Magicienne’ is painted here among a fleet of multiple other vessels, on what appears to be a moderately rough sea. There are at least four other vessels in the right of the painting, astern of the ‘Magicienne’, all of which appear to be smaller vessels. One of these is a two-masted brig. A large section of headland is shown in the right-hand background behind these vessels (possibly white cliffs of Dover?), along with a lighthouse in the distance. On the left hand side of the painting, ahead of the ‘Magicienne’, larger vessels are depicted – six all told. The right-most vessel, depicted in the background closest to the bow of the ‘Magicienne’, is a steamship – a two-masted paddle steamer. The smoke from its funnel can be clearly seen. The other five ships all appear to be three masted sailing vessels, including the most prominent one in the foreground (davits with lifeboats can be seen on this vessel). In keeping with the rough sea, dark clouds can be seen in the sky, and the crew of the ‘Magicienne’ are shown scaling the masts and rigging. The white ensign can be seen flying from her mizzen mast.